Architect and Builder November/December 2015

Enclosing the atrium in glass allows the viewer to engage the building from the outside high glazed entrance atrium that fronts onto the busy De Villers Street. While the building generally represents an interpretation of its earlier more traditional industrial cousins as a robust enclosed box form, the architects wanted to offer something back to the street. This takes the form of the triple volume, glazed entrance atrium. Here, instead of continuing the solid stone base around to the front of the building, it returns before the edge of the building and continues under the bulk structure, defining a portion of the lower level as part of the streetscape. As it penetrates this area, it diminishes in height to reveal some of the inner workings of the ETV operations. Security, reception and the communal canteen areas can all be seen in the atrium from within. Enclosing this atrium in glass allows the viewer to engage the building from the outside and, thus, the very front door to the ‘people’s favourite TV station’ becomes an interactive part of the environment it occupies. At the very top level, the architects have introduced a more playful element in the cranked form of the floating Rheinzink roof. Enjoying the best 360° views, the 6th floor is fully glazed all round and is setback to allow the roof to float above the massing below. The center of the roof form is eroded and lowered to accommodate the station’s satellite dishes that remain concealed from view but retain their required lines-of-sight to the source of the digital signals. Intended as a contemporary expression of the more traditional roof forms, the folded shapes mimic the undulations of the iconic white cloud ‘table cloth’ over the majestic mountain ETV Head Office which forms the backdrop to this building and has become a recognisable symbol of the building itself. Planning The building has 4 basement parking floors below ground level and can accommodate over 500 cars. The uppermost parking level, accessed from Strerling Street, contains all visitors parking, and is contiguous with the ground floor security zone and entrance foyer. The public entrance to the triple volume entrance foyer is on De Villiers Street enclosed with a 12m high flush glazed curtain-wall. Visitors 43

Architect and Builder November/December 2015 | Page 45